Photo Credit: Nguyen Vu Hung (vuhung) Flickr via Compfight cc
I recently acquired a book entitled Cat Confessions, which features cat photos along with purported confessions of their naughty deeds: stowing away in luggage, getting fur all over a dark suit, etc.
After chuckling over the book, I was inspired to come up with a few confessions of my own. (Sorry, I don’t have funny photos to go with them; the cat refused to pose.)
So here goes …
My introvert confessions
Regarding crowds
I hate crowds. Therefore I avoid shopping on weekends, holidays, and the month of December. I do my shopping mid-morning when shoppers are few and far between.
When I find myself shopytping in a crowd, I tend to develop road rage. (Or is that aisle rage?) I grip the cart handle tightly, clench my teeth, and swerve violently to bypass slow shoppers puttering along between me and the next item on my list.
I do not go to restaurants on Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day. (Who needs the long waits, the frenzied servers, the over-worked cooks? The following weekend is ever so much nicer.)
I did not offer to take my kids to crowd-attracting events, such as parades, tailgates, or the Pennsylvania Farm Show. That is what grandparents are for.
I have never been on a cruise. Actually, I don’t understand the draw of a cruise. To me it sounds like a wearisome vacation—being stuck in a massive floating hotel with nowhere to escape the crowds besides your cabin. (Is it any wonder I prefer camping?)
Regarding overstimulation
I HATE TVs IN RESTAURANTS! There, I feel better now. But honestly, TVs are distracting, intrusive, and otherwise contradictory to the whole reason we have gone out to eat.
Cities stress me out. The noise, the people, the vastly different environment overrides my brain with stimuli it is not used to dealing with. I can embrace it for a few hours, but then I must escape to safety. Otherwise I will have a meltdown and become someone you don’t want to be with. (Yes, I mean it. You have been warned.)
I do not like any environment that bombards me with stimuli, such as casinos or dance clubs. They may be fun and exciting for you, but they make me miserable.
In fact, I don’t even enjoy watching movies that feature multiple scenes of rowdy crowds with lots of noise, lights, flashy outfits, etc. (Fast and Furious comes immediately to mind.) They make me cringe.
I cannot stand having the TV on in the background. The same is true for talk radio. I cannot concentrate with voices talking in the background. Music is acceptable. Silence is best.
On a similar note, I never, ever, use the radio as an alarm. Do not wake me up to music. It isn’t pretty. (Not entirely sure this is an introvert thing, but I am putting it into the ‘dislikes excess stimulation’ category.)
Regarding other introvert traits
Having wait staff sing Happy Birthday to me in a restaurant would completely ruin the meal. Introverts hate being the center of attention in a public place.
When the kids were young, my husband would give me the best possible gift by taking them somewhere on a Saturday, leaving me in complete solitude for several uninterrupted hours. Oh, the bliss.
I avoid any task that involves using the telephone.
When involved in a large project, I will do whatever I must to delegate all phone calls to someone else. (I will happily spend hours and hours on other things, but DO NOT ask me to make phone calls.)
I do not strike up conversations with strangers. Exchanging a sentence or two of chit-chat, fine. Intentionally starting a conversation, nope.
There you have it. I have come clean on a few of my introvert secrets. Now I challenge you to confess a few of your own personal quirks.